Bayern Munich's Olic celebrates his goal against Ahly during their friendly soccer match in Doha in January 2012 (Photo: Reuters)
Egypt's Ahly may face Bayern Munich in a mouthwatering clash next month but the Egyptian giants warned their anticipating fans that they would have to overcome a stiff opening test before meeting the European Champions League winners.
In a news conference on Monday, Ahly boss Mohamed Youssef said the prospect of facing Bayern should not be taken for granted.
"Definitely, I hope Ahly will meet Bayern Munich in the second round, but we have an important match beforehand that we must focus on," the rookie boss said, referring to his side's opening game against China's Guangzhou Evergrande.
"Evergrande are the Asian champions and we are aware of their capabilities. We have to fully concentrate on that difficult test before any talks over meeting Bayern."
Bayern needed a last-gasp goal from Croatian striker Ivica Olic to claim a 2-1 friendly victory over Ahly in January 2012. However, the Bavarians have since transformed into a formidable outfit that won the treble last season.
Youssef defied the odds to lead Ahly to a second successive African Champions League triumph earlier this month despite a variety of problems plaguing domestic football.
The Red Devils made four Club World Cup appearances, with their best position being a third-place finish in the 2006 edition in Japan.
"It's impossible to promise the fans that we will finish in a certain position, but we will do our best to appear in a shape that suits an African champion," Youssef added.
"We won the Champions League eight times, but playing in a very strong competition like the Club World Cup amid the ongoing football stoppage in Egypt will be very difficult."
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